ArtBreak: The Labor that Builds our Nation

In this program, Victoria Siciliano, Director of Administration and Fundraising with Adelante Alabama, gives us a firsthand look at the advocacy work Adelante does to promote the rights, dignity and justice of immigrant workers.

In panel 29 of the series Struggle…From the History of the American People, artist Jacob Lawrence paints from the perspective of the laborers who built the Erie Canal. Lawrence visualizes their accomplishment, with the builders occupying the majority of the picture plane. Using Lawrence’s work as a springboard, Katelyn D. Crawford, PhD, The William Cary Hulsey Curator of American Art at the BMA, will lead a conversation considering Lawrence’s perspective on American labor and the work Adelante Alabama is doing today. This conversation will include Adelante’s Policy & Communications Coordinator, Resha Swanson; Economic Justice Organizer, Isaac Guazo Estrada; and longtime Adelante Member and laborer of 25 years, Angel Aldana.

ArtBreaks are presented in honor of Joyce Benington’s twenty five years as a docent at the Birmingham Museum of Art. These programs, which bring curators, educators, artists, and creatives in conversation with the Museum‘s collection and exhibitions, have been generously funded by Joyce’s friends, fellow docents, and members of the Art Focus group, which Joyce has guided through the BMA for nearly two decades.

Register: Visitors who register will receive a reminder email ahead of the event and will have the opportunity to submit a question for the program’s live Q&A.

Watch: For a more interactive experience, join us on Zoom where visitors can submit questions live and chat with fellow attendees. The Zoom link will appear on this page 10 minutes prior to the event.